Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1998 - 75

As an educator, he has sen-ed as Professor of Stage Design, Brookl~n College, City nirersity of :'iew York for l\renty
years and guest professor and \~siting clitic at numerous
universities, including fue Yale School of Drama, Columbia
University, Ohio State niversity, and tile Pratt Instintte.
He was a founding "snow stoml" member of SlIT in
1960 and a dedicated Suppol1er ever since.

ELDO:\'" ELDER

1998 USITT
Award
Richard Devin,
presenter
Author, educator, scenic designer, costume designer,
lighting designer, and theatre consultant; Eldon Elder has
shown tremendous versatility in his work and his influence.
He has designed settings, lighting, and/or costumes
for more than 200 Broadway, Off-Broadway, opera, and
regional theatre productions in the U.S., London,
]ohannesberg, and Berlin.
His first Broadway production was Legend Of Lovers with Richard Burton. Other Broadway designs include Venlls Observed with Rex Harrison, Take A Giant
Step, Dream Girl, Time alit For Ginger, Tbe YOllng And
Tbe Beautiful, Will Rogers USA, and Fallen Angels.
Off-Broadway he has designed a variety of shows,
including Tbe Fatber, Lulu, A IVbitman Portrait,
Pygmalion, and recently, Hizzoner, and numerous productions for the New York Shakespeare Festival.
fus frequent resident theatre designs include work
for: Center Stage, the Long Wharf, Syracuse Stage, Alliance Theatre, Ford's Theatre, Pittsburgh Public, the
Asolo, and twenty-five musicals for the St. Louis Municipal Opera. I first had the pleasure of working with Eldon
in 19 5 at the Seattle Repertory Theatre, a happy working
relationship that lasted through several years of shows in
the Northwest.
He was the theatre designer and consultant for the
New York Shakespeare Festival's Delacorte Theater in
Central Park, the Harlem Performing Arts Center, the
Southeast Alaska Arts Council Theatre Development
project, The Second Stage for Seattle Repertory Theatre,
the 42nd Street Redevelopment project, the Helen Hayes
Performing Arts Center, :'iyack, \'Y. among several others.
A recipient of a Guggenheim Award for a study of
Classical theatre in Greece, Italy, and lUrkey, Eldon also
received a Fulbright Distinguished Lecturer Award to lecture and teach in the People's Republic of China.
He is tile distingUished autllOr of Will It Make A 7/1eatre, now in its second edition, and Designsfor tbe Tbeatre,
as well as a major contlibutor to otller texts.

WILLL-\..t\I "ARFEL

1998 USITT
Award
Ben SammieI' and
ling eho Lee, presenters
Ben Sanmuer: TItis presentation is a tag teanl eff0l1, not
unlike our supen~sion of the
production process at tile
Yale Drama School. It is a
collaborative process to
wltich tile recipient of tile
usm Award, Bill Wadel, was a signillcllJ1t contlibutor for
l\venty-seven years.
My first encounters with Bill were as a student.
When I joined the staff at Yale as Technical Director, Bill
was the senior colleague that I could count on for reasoned perspectives-especiaUy on those ine\~table
clashes bel\veen acadenlic and production objectives.
And for my years as chair of the Technical Program,
Bill was a steadfast proponent of our students' needs and
well being. In a progranl that combines both academics,
school productions, and a professional theatre company-believe me, Ius advocacy and sensibility was a
strong glue that held against impressive odds. For these
insights llJ1d strengths, Bill has my utmost respect and
gratitude.
Yale was fortunate indeed to have a gifted Lighting
designer llJ1d theatre consultant who was also a gifted
teacher for so many years. The Institllle is acknowledging
Bill's lifetime contributions to the industry. It is a fitting
tribute!
Ming Cho Lee: When Ben called me for suggestions
for a co-presenter, I suggested myself. After lui, Bill was a
friend, a colleague and co-chair with me of the design
department at Yale Drama School for more than a quarter of a century.
When I came to Yale in 1969, Bill was already there
as director of lighting and the principal lighting designer
for Yale Repertory Theatre, and it was through Bill that
the standard of excellence in lighting design at Yale was
established.
TD&T

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I 998

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1998